The O.J. Simpson interview: On prison, ‘retirement’ and football
He hunched as he moved around the house, smoothly but with a shuffle more than a glide. Reading glasses perched on his salt-and-pepper head. He wore a black button-up sweater over a white golf shirt, black slacks, black Nike sneakers.
He looked like
But that baritone voice, that incandescent smile. Yes, this was
And he was ready to sit and talk.
----In his first substantial interview in a decade and his first extensively about football since the 1990s, Simpson spoke to
Simpson had myriad other opportunities. Representatives say he has been approached by all the serious news programs, the gossip shows,
"I get so many offers to talk," Simpson, 70, said at the Las Vegas house where he has been staying, "but everybody wants to talk about the crap."
A February interview request from the town where he starred for the
There were ground rules: No video; no sensationalized promotion of the interview; questions should be limited to his playing career.
Simpson, however, did not limit his answers to football. He described life as Nevada inmate No. 1027820 inside
Simpson expressed concerns about CTE, the degenerative brain disease caused by repeated blows to the head. He shared thoughts on
He expressed his affection for Buffalo, the Bills and running back
Simpson also referenced the two-hour Fox special that aired the night before. "
"When people want to make money or get ratings," Simpson said, "they're going to pimp me. I'm going to get pimped."
Simpson's friends, many of them former teammates, peppered him Monday morning about the Fox show.
Muhammad Ali,
Watch:
Photo gallery of
His old pal, former Bills defensive end
"Listen, if I confessed 12 years ago," Simpson told White through mutual laughter, "you would have heard about it 12 years ago!"
Simpson insisted he doesn't watch anything about his notorious life, not "O.J.: Made in America," the 2016
"I watch nothing of me," Simpson said, between sips of his McCafe coffee. "I didn't watch it because I knew they were all haters, and people will say things that are just not true, and there's nobody there to challenge them, and that would piss me off.
"So why? It's a beautiful day. I'm about to go play golf. Why should I have some crap in my mind? You've got to let it go."
Simpson's tee time was a little more than three hours away. Until then, he let the audio recorder run.
Still behind walls
Simpson has been living in a gated community within a gated community on the western edge of the Las
From the shade of the back patio, striking contours of
The sun was bright, the air mild and clear. Birds chirped.
"I consider myself a retired person," Simpson said. "I'm totally happy with my life. I've been active my whole life. I had no offseason. Football was the only time I was in one place. I was doing endorsements and running companies.
"I enjoy my retirement."
He paused a beat, then added a clarification.
"I consider it forced retirement; don't get me wrong," Simpson said. "I loved doing '
"But after the whole L.A. thing I got put in forced retirement, and I got used to forced retirement. It's not bad."
The "L.A. thing" -- he also calls it "all that L.A. crap" -- refers to the killings, the low-speed freeway chase in his white Ford Bronco, the acquittal and the 1997 civil judgment that ordered him to pay
Simpson collects pensions from the
Simpson lives within these security gates and on the golf course as much as he can. He has cultivated a couple of restaurants that protect his privacy from prying media.
He has ventured outside the walls with varying degrees of success. In November, he was kicked out of the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas reportedly for being drunk and disruptive, an account he disputes. Simpson reported the incident to his parole officer, and tests for drugs and alcohol were negative. Simpson is pursuing legal action against the casino for "malice and racial prejudice."
Mutual affinity between
"It was the first Buffalo playoff game in 18 years, and I kind of wanted to be around Buffalo people to enjoy it," said Simpson, who signed autographs for excited customers and posed for photos.
"Going to that
A spectacular sight
He ran upright, seeming to tower above the field, untouchable. He glimmered as he slipped and shook defenders. He was breathtaking.
A 1990 Sports Illustrated cover story about contemporary tailbacks asked: "Why can't they run like O.J.?"
Generations know him better as the subject of true-crime tales and maybe even as hapless detective Nordberg from "The Naked Gun" movies.
But anyone who watched him run for
"When that gun went off, and we as a team knew we were the national champions," Simpson said, "they put me on their shoulders, and I said, 'This is going to be the highlight of my career. Nothing I could ever do could ever beat this.' "
The next year he earned the
The Bills drafted him first overall in 1969, but they were so dismal Simpson was rendered irrelevant. He was reborn three seasons later, when
Simpson in 1973 became the first to rush for 2,000 yards in an
"From the moment that happened, I knew I was a part of football forever," Simpson said. "I was the first guy to gain 2,000 yards and nobody could beat that, like being the first to hit 60 home runs or run the four-minute mile."
Often overlooked, his 1975 campaign might have been more prolific. He ran for 1,817 yards, gained a career-high 2,243 yards from scrimmage and scored a team-record 23 touchdowns to lead the
"I always thought that '75 was the better year, and it wasn't really that close," Simpson said.
Simpson is in the
He's among football's all-time offensive threats, yet the Bills played one postseason game over his eight seasons with them.
Simpson blames Wilson, the Bills' owner, for not funding a winner. Simpson contended Wilson was fearful of making the playoffs for financial reasons, that the sweet spot was a full stadium without achieving greatness.
"Buffalo was a different franchise then," Simpson said. "
If Simpson ever was accused of not being totally immersed in football, then he could say the same about his owner.
"
"Me, being a 22-year-old kid, I had never heard anybody in athletics talk that way. That's when it dawned on me this guy is all about the business and not about the game. You knew just from what you read every day in L.A. that
Simpson added he enjoyed Wilson's company and stated a belief Wilson became competitive with age and wealth. Simpson in retirement considered Wilson a friend and relished covering the Bills'
Wilson's ownership tactics evolved over his six decades in pro football. His frugality has been widely acknowledged. His willingness to spend, particularly during the
But Simpson's first impression further motivated him to find other ways to trade on his charm and Los Angeles celebrity. He ventured into acting, network broadcasting and entrepreneurship during offseasons.
He gained another level of fame as the pitchman for Hertz Rent a Car in a series of popular commercials that showed him juking and jumping his way through airports.
"Ralph said there was no chance they ever were going to trade me, so I figured I was through after three years," Simpson said. "I started preparing myself for leaving football."
His first Bills coach,
The O.J. Simpson interview: Buffalo years
Simpson began to accumulate records in 1972. The Bills found traction in their new
The awakening caused by Saban, the
"I just never thought the front office had the commitment to the team, to help us get over that hump," Simpson said.
"If not for injuries in '75, I thought we were the best team in football. We beat Pittsburgh, the defending champs, early. I thought nobody could stop us. Injuries caught up with us.
"Then we lose instrumental guys because we won't re-sign them, and I thought, 'I can't go through another two or three years like my first three years. I'll have no chance. We're back to rebuilding.' "
Simpson began posturing for a trade before the 1976 season and threatened to retire, but Wilson gave him an irresistible contract extension.
In a 1977
"I used to dream about football, about making long runs and all," Simpson told
Hobbled by knee trouble in 1977 and scoring zero touchdowns in only seven games, Simpson was traded to the
CTE concerns
Dr.
Omalu in
"Given his profile," Omalu said, "I think it's not an irresponsible conclusion to suspect he has CTE."
In trying to recall the
"That's my CTE kicking in," Simpson said, staring in the distance.
Such dark humor is increasingly common with retired football players.
"I get concerned," he said. "I do recognize that it probably affects you in short-term memory more than long-term.
"I know with me, I have days I can't find words. I literally cannot find words or the name of somebody I know. That gets a little scary. Those days happen when I'm tired.
"I have a few friends that have symptoms ..."
Simpson's words suddenly became drawn out, spaces of seeming introspection after each period.
"... and older friends that have it full-bore."
Pause.
"It is horrible to see."
He thought of Al Cowlings, the high school teammate who played with Simpson at
"My buddy A.C., my closest, oldest friend, I see he's short-tempered now."
Pause.
"A guy who has never been short-tempered."
Pause.
"I see he's struggling just a little bit."
Simpson counted two distinct concussions in his career.
The worst, he recalled, happened in
"I got flipped up in the air," Simpson said. "
"I think I played a little more in the game, but the worst thing I did was get on the plane. I thought I was going to explode. I don't think I've ever, ever been in more pain than I was on that plane.
"I wanted to die. They ended up clearing a row for me, and I laid down. That was, by far, the worst I ever had."
Simpson was a workhorse. While a slithery nightmare for tacklers, he absorbed thousands of hits, most on
Behind a two-bar facemask and with a single-button chinstrap holding his helmet on, Simpson led the
Simpson's 332 carries in 1973 broke the record, as did his 39 carries in a game that year.
If 39 attempts was a lot, then consider his
"You know, you get dinged," Simpson said, using the all-encompassing term of being knocked anywhere from dizzy to cold. "Who knows what a ding is?
"I got dinged late in my career with the Niners. Hacksaw Reynolds caught me on the 1-yard line and filled the hole. I saw stars."
Dings add up. What used to be shaken off with smelling salts are now deemed subconcussive impacts, blows that might not meet the traditional definition of a concussion but are believed to have serious cumulative effects.
Simpson was asked if he thought he had CTE.
"Well, I don't know," he replied. "I feel all right. But I have days when I can't ... I lose words, and I can't come up with a simple word. I can't remember a phone number, so forget that."
[Photo Gallery:
Life inside Lovelock
Simpson doesn't shrink from his time at
"I had four fantasy teams in Lovelock," Simpson said. "I ran a league; they called it the
"When I first got to Lovelock, there was one, maybe two fantasy leagues. When I left, if there were a thousand guys on the yard, 910 were in fantasy leagues."
The medium-security prison, on a bleak slab of desert landscape 100 miles northeast of
While attending a friend's 2007 wedding in
Many legal analysts consider Simpson's overloaded sentence payback for the 1995 double-murder verdict.
Audio of the incident was recorded by one of Simpson's associates, who later testified he sold it to gossip outlet TMZ for
Running the prison softball league and fantasy football were two of Simpson's limited entertainment options and helped ingratiate him to the inmates.
"Of course, I was the white whale there for everybody to beat," Simpson said.
"We all talked crap. All the dudes playing fantasy would say, 'Oh, man, I wouldn't have drafted you!' I said, 'Man, you look at my '75 season and tell me you wouldn't have wanted me!'
"In our league you got bonuses for touchdowns over 30 yards and over 50 yards. I told them, 'I might be the first drafted all-time!' Now, take those numbers and add two more games and compare that to anybody's fantasy season."
When Simpson went to Lovelock,
Simpson lamented the funerals he couldn't attend, the respects he couldn't pay. Wilson, Saban, Kemp, Muhammad Ali,
"I lost relatives when I was in prison," Simpson said. "That hurt."
Ali and Simpson were crossover superstars and pop-culture celebrities in the 1970s.
"I would've definitely been there," Simpson said of Ali's poignant funeral procession through Louisville. "He showed up at a couple surprise parties that Nicole threw for me.
"I actually cried in 1996, when he lit the Olympic flame in
"I'm from the '60s. I saw the hate white America had on Muhammad Ali. Those same people grew to love and respect him. That was moving."
Muhammad Ali,
Simpson expressed devastation over Jackson's 2009 overdose death.
The King of Pop in 1984 helped Simpson and actors
"There came a point where my kids would come up with their best friends and stay long weekends at
"This place was incredible, like being at the zoo and amusement park at the same time, with a Ferris wheel and bumper cars and a big movie theater. He had first-run movies and nobody behind the counter. The popcorn and candy, the kids would go get whatever they want.
"I don't know what his sexual thing was. I thought he was asexual. But he came to my aid."
As much as Simpson got along with his fellow inmates, prison gangs were a constant threat. Jackson's death, for example, was celebrated by white supremacists. Simpson didn't dare respond.
"It hurt me," Simpson said. "This is prison. You got Aryan Warriors, 311s, 88s. Heil Hitler,
"It's tough when you hear them denigrate this guy who has been so great to my family. Then when he dies, you can't get into an argument because some guy is cracking on Michael."
Asked if he needed to align with any group to protect his safety at Lovelock, Simpson snapped upright in his patio chair and laughed.
No, not The Juice.
"All the boys were my boys!" Simpson said. "The heads of all the groups, all the shot-callers played softball for me. They were all my guys, the Aryans, Surenos, Nortenos. ...
"Let me tell you: Not one minute when I was in Lovelock was I ever concerned about anybody. Nobody would think about screwing with me.
"Virtually all the guys had my back. I was setting the tone. I was helping the guys. I helped put together programs, and when there were problems, I was the guy they came to to mediate."
No vote for Trump
Although Simpson occasionally veered off topic during Monday's three-hour interview, questions were supposed to be about football.
What did he think, then, about
Simpson grinned and emitted a deep exhale.
"If you were good, he would've been fun," Simpson said. "Ain't no doubt about it. The one thing I can say about The Donald is The Donald is fun.
"Well, for a dude -- and I consider myself a dude -- Donald is a man's man. He would be a fun guy. But that's hanging out. ... If the Bills weren't winning, it would have been tough."
Trump's offer came in a distant third to Terry and
Simpson and Trump once were friends and golf buddies.
Simpson attended Trump's
Trump since has mocked Simpson on Twitter.
"Somebody asked me if I'd have voted for him," Simpson said. "Probably not, but I only know two of my friends I'd vote to be president. Some of my best, best besties I would not vote to be president. That has no bearing on it, you know?"
Simpson generally agrees with the president about
Kaepernick in 2016 started a controversial movement while with Simpson's hometown 49ers. The quarterback knelt during "The Star-Spangled Banner" to protest racial oppression.
Trump has slammed Kaepernick, other athlete protestors and the
"I think Colin made a mistake," Simpson said. "I really appreciate what he was trying to say. I thought he made a bad choice in attacking the flag.
"I grew up at a time when deacons were in the
The Pegulas released one of the most strongly worded statements against Trump's "divisive and disrespectful" comments.
The next day at New
Kaepernick has been unemployed since the end of the 2016 season.
"When he did it the first time," Simpson said, "I thought, 'Well, you took a gamble, and I give you credit.' But it was him continuing to do it where he made the biggest mistake.
"I'm a firm believer of doing what you think is right, but I would always stand for the flag."
Borders and walls
Florida's attorney general in September announced Simpson is not welcome in the state, where he resided when he was arrested and where the two children he had with
As soon as Nevada will allow, he wants to return to
"I like the
"A year before I went to prison, I was really moved because I was in a suite that my friend had, and it was some alumni thing going on down on the field. During the game, virtually all of the guys came by to say hello up in the suite."
Simpson's usual routine was to stay on the Canadian side of
"I thoroughly enjoy coming back," Simpson said. "But it will not be through the
Simpson seems to have accepted his restrictions.
That's why Las Vegas has been so appealing. He just might make it his permanent home.
"I consider this the
"I have no plans to leave any time soon, and my kids love coming here. My daughter came in for the second time from
"They love visiting me here, and you always get old friends with nooooo problem, coming to
As Simpson's tee time approached, one last question:
How much does he wonder if people will remember his football greatness as part of his life's legacy?
"For years, I didn't get much football questions," Simpson said. "It was basically the other stuff. In Lovelock, where you're with a bunch of guys, and here in
"In the
"Despite the other crap the show was about -- I know it won an Academy Award -- people were reminded I was a pretty good athlete."
At the time of the 2010
Of the other 51 percent, many of their memories surely are diluted by gavel-to-gavel trial coverage, documentaries, commercials, even his Nordberg character being pushed down the
"Anybody that saw me play will remember me as a football player," Simpson said. "I like to think I played the game with a lot of passion and love.
"You live in memories. I can visualize LeSean do a beautiful shimmy up the middle and step out of a tackle in the snow and score.
"I like to think I left a lot of those runs out there. I don't think that once you see it, you'll ever forget it."
Simpson slipped on his golf shoes, eager to try out a new tip for his swing. He needed to keep his right elbow tucked, one of his country-club buddies advised.
The dishwasher addressed, the thermostat correctly set and the handyman summoned to investigate that leaky ceiling, Simpson backed a golf cart out of the side garage and tooled away.
___
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